Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)

Vol.6, No.7, 2015

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A Microcontroller Framework for PC Based Electrical Appliance

Control System
Ganiyu Adedayo. Ajenikoko,

Timothy O. Araoye,
Akinniyi T. Akintayo,
Dare E. Oyekunle
Isiah I. Olugbemiga
Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000,
Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
Abstract
Personal computers are increasingly becoming the platform of choice to design and implement control
algorithms because it is simple to write, modify and update software programs that implement control
algorithms.
In this paper, the personal computer is used to control the electrical appliances which includes turning high
power alternating current (AC) loads such as lights, fans, heaters etc ON or OFF. To successfully integrate the
interface box with the machine (laptop), an interface device is used within the PC that can perform the necessary
tasks. The interface box can be controlled by the computer by connecting to the USB port and developed a
program in C-sharp(C#) programming language. The program will demonstrate the basic idea of how to control
devices and monitor events. With the program, the computer can turn electric devices ON/OFF while
disregarding the manual control system. Moreover, the people who are physically disabled in homes and work
places are able to control the home appliances by interacting with the interface of the developed appliance. It is a
necessity to employ the service of Home Appliances Control as it is more effective, efficient and stress-free.
Keywords: Personal Computers, Home Control Appliance, Distribution Fuse Board (DFB), Graphical User
Interface (GUI), Interface Box, Internal Module, Enumeration, Local Area Network (LAN).
1. Introduction.
A Personal computer (PC) based home control appliance is the use of control systems at homes, in the offices
and in industries to reduce human efforts. Home control appliances have greatly decreased the need for human
sensory and mental equipments and plays an important role in the world economy and in daily experience. It is
more efficient and stress-free (Coyle et al 2007).
Home and office appliances, including television, VCRs, stereo equipment, refrigerators,, washing
machines, thermostat, light switches, telephones, copiers and factory equipment, have embedded computers and
often come with remote controls. However, the trend has been that as appliances get more computerized with
more features, their user interfaces get harder to use (Dickey et al 2012).
PCs are commonly used with better input-output capability than the average home appliance, such as
high-resolution screens, text-entry technologies and speech capability. PC.s are likely to maintain this advantage
over appliances, because improved hardware is a key differentiator between PC and is often marketed as an
incentive to upgrade to a new PC. All PC has the ability to communicate over the Local Area Network (LAN)
and most have built-in short range communication capabilities, such as Bluetooth, that could allow them to
communicate with and control appliance in their surrounding environment. PC laptops are also personal devices,
which allow them to provide interface that are personalized (Koyuncu 1995, Nunes and Delgado 2000,
Sriskanthan and Tan 2002).
1.1 The brain of the system.
The brain of the system is actually a small computer whose job is to close the switch that activates the switches
that powers sensing devices when ON or OFF. Home based PC differs mainly in Distribution Fuse Board (DFB)
and how various home appliances are wired in to the brain. The brain and the DFB features may be wired into
the control room, but they usually have a back-up power source as well. The architecture of the PC home based
appliances control system is shown in Figure 1.
The system consists of two units(Swamy et al 2002, Nichols and Myers, 2006):
I
Control unit: The control unit is based on the use of standard personal computer with Graphical User
Interface (GUI ) software to control the electrical appliances.
ii
Interface unit: The interface unit is for interfacing the high power loads with the control unit.

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.6, No.7, 2015

www.iiste.org

ON/OFF

Interface
Hardware

Light

Light

Fan

PC
Fridge

ridge
Air-conditioner

Figure 1: Architecture of the PC home based appliances control

1.2. Hardware Design of the Interface Box
The design of the interface box that is used to connect high power load to the computer is discussed here.
Internal module
The internal circuitry of the interface box can be divided into three main categories namely: relay driver circuit,
relay and +6 V DC power supply.
Computer Interfacing
The Universal Bus (USB) is one of the most common interfaces used in electronic consumer product today,
including PCS, cameras, GPS devices, MP3 players, modems , printers and scanners, to mention a few. These
are data lines, control lines and status lines. The USB is a high-speed serial interface that can provide power to
device connected to it(Kim et al 2010, Lin and Brogerg 2002, Neng-Shiiang et al, 2002). A USB bus supports up
to 127 devices (limited by the 7-bit address field noting that address 0 is not used as it has a special purpose)
connected through a four-wire serial cable of three to five meters long. Many USB devices can be connected to
the same bus with hubs, which can have 4, 8, or even 16 ports. A device can be plugged into a hub which is
plugged into another hub and so on. The maximum number of tiers permitted is six. According to the
specification, the maximum distance of a device from its host is about thirty meters, accomplished by using five
hubs. For longer-distance bus communications, other methods such as use of Ethernet are recommended.
The USB bus specification comes in two versions: the version USB 1.1, supporting 11Mbps, while the version,
USB 2.0 supports up to 480Mbps. The USB specification defines three data speeds(Al-Ali and Al-Rousan 2004,
Kobatake et al 1989).:
i.
Low speed ---- 1.5Mb/sec.
ii.
Full speed------ 12Mb/sec.
iii.
High speed ----- 480Mb/sec.
The maximum power available to an external device is limited to about 100mA at 5.0V. USB is a four- wire
interface implemented using a four-core shielded cable. Two types of connectors are specified and used, Table 1
shows typical USB connectors and Table 2 shows the pin-out of the USB connectors. The signal wire colors are
specified. The specification also defines a mini-B connector, mainly used in smaller portable electronic devices
such as cameras and other handheld devices. This connector has a fifth pin called ID, though this pin is not used.
The pin assignment and wire colors of a mini-B connector are given. Two of the pins, Data + and Data -, form a
twisted pair and differential data signals and some single- ended data states.
Table 1: USB pin configuration
Pin no
1
2
3
4

Name
+5.0V
DataData+
Ground

Color
Red
White
Green
Black

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.6, No.7, 2015

Table 2: USB pin assignment

Pin no
1
2
3
4
5

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Name
+5.0V
-Data
+Data
Not Used
Ground

Color
Red
White
Green
------Black

Enumeration
When a device is plugged into a USB bus, it becomes known to the host through a process called enumeration.
The steps of enumeration are (Anamal and Kamruzzaman 2006, Casimiro et al 2004):
i.
When a device is plugged in, the host becomes aware of it because one of the data line voltages (Dp or
D) becomes logic high.
ii.
The host sends a USB reset signal to the device to place the device in a known state. The reset device
responds to address 0.
iii.
The host sends a request on address 0 to the device to find out its maximum packet size using a Get
Descriptor command.
iv.
The device responds by sending a small portion of the device descriptor.
v.
The host sends a USB reset again.
vi.
The host assigns a unique address to the device and sends a Set Address request to the device.
2. Materials and method
The design demonstrates a system that allows one to control home appliance and turns ON or OFF any appliance
that is connected to a computer. The appliances are connected to the computer via a microcontroller. The power
supply for each appliance is through an electromechanical relay. A number of relays are used depending on the
number of appliances to be controlled. All the relays are controlled by a microcontroller. The microcontroller is
connected to the computer via a USB to RS232 Converter. The diagram below in Figure 2 shows the block
diagram of the system.
DC POWER
SUPPLY
GFGFFFWER
BULB

SUPPLY

FAN

COMPUTER

MICRO
CONTROLLER

IRON
RELAY
DRIVER
CIRCUIT

AY
DRIV
ER
CIRC
UIT

ON
REFRIGERATOR

RIGERATO
TELEVISION

RADIO

DIO
BULB

Figure.2: Block Diagram of the designed system

2.1. Approach to Development of the Framework
The basis of the hardware design is mainly the PICI6F876A microcontroller using micro C pro compiler. Two
circuit diagrams were developed. These are:

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.6, No.7, 2015

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i.
Power supply regulation circuit
ii.
Main component circuit
2.1.1 Power Supply Regulation Circuit
The a.c. power supply to the circuit has to be regulated to a reasonable amount for the workability and durability
of the circuit components. The power supply regulation circuit is shown in Figure 3.The power supply regulation
process is accomplished by following the four stages listed below:
i
Transformer
ii
Rectification
iii.
Filtering
iv.
Voltage regulation
Transformer
The a.c. supply gives out 220V or above and the supply is stepped down by the transformer to a reasonable
amount of 12V which is needed for the operation of the circuit.
Rectification
There is the need for the conversion of the a.c. voltage to d.c. voltage. Diodes help in this conversion process.
However, in the conversion process the voltage drop across the diode which is greater than 1V is added to the
already stepped down 12V and making the total voltage in the rectification to be 13V or greater.
Filtering
The capacitor removes or filters the ripples generated and produced alongside the rectification process.
Voltage Regulation
Voltage regulator are devices that produce constant d.c. voltage regardless of the variation in the input
load. Two voltage regulators are used in this stage. These are:
i
LM7812 voltage regulator
ii
LM7805 voltage regulator

220V

+12
3
Output Relay

470f
50V

3
2

+5
Output to Microcontroller

Figure 3: Power supply regulation circuit

2.1.2 Main component Circuit Analysis
The USB cable is fed to the DB-9 which is actually a serial connector. This serial connector allows for bidirectional communication between the system and the hardware (I.e it sends signals to and receives signals from
the PC.) The DB-9 though stabbed at pin 5 is fed to the MAX232 which is the level converter.
The level converter does and undoes the signal by generating a total of 12V supply and reversing it to
5V d.c. supply. It is fed to the PIC16F876A microcontroller from the level converter. A d.c. voltage of 5V is
needed for the operation of the PIC. It processes the signal according to instruction. Attached to the
microcontroller is the clock pulse which generates clock frequency for the microcontroller. The clock pulse is the
heart of the microcontroller as the microcontroller fails to work in the absence of those clock frequencies.
A d.c voltage of 12V is needed for the operation of the relay. A total of seven relays were used as each
relay demands a transistor for amplification. One kilo ohms resistor was also introduced to restrict and oppose

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.6, No.7, 2015

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the amount of current that flows to the base of the transistor. The signal is finally executed as the relay opens up
to socket to be controlled. The main component circuit analysis is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4:Main component circuit analysis

2.2 Software Interface
The layout of the software used for controlling various home appliance is shown in Figure 5 .As an experimental
basis, the following layouts are present in the software interface:
i
Seven rooms with their corresponding ON and OFF buttons.
ii
Selection of communication port
iii.
All ON button
iv.
All OFF button
v.
ROM status interface which consists of check status and clear report.
At first, a port number is set in the Selection Com Port field of the layout to activate connection
between computer and microcontroller. If the connection is successful, then it is possible to control the
appliances from the computer. Each device can be controlled either as an ON or OFF mode by pressing ON or
OFF button on the layout. The check status reports the state (ON or OFF) of the electrical control l appliances
by displaying information that the appliance is ON. The clear report command gets rid of the information
reported in the room status interface. Although, only seven rooms have been shown, but any number of devices
can be controlled from a computer with a slight modification in the designed system. The software layout
interface is shown in Figure 5.

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

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PC BASED HOME APPLIANCES

CONTROL
UNIT 1

ON

NUIT 1
UNIT 2

OFF

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

IT 2
UNIT 3

T3
UNIT 4

Rooms Status
ON

IT 4
UNIT 5

T5
UNIT 6

FF
ON

OFF

ON

FF

ON

OFF

IT 6
UNIT 7

OFF

ON

OFF

7
A LL ON

ALL OFF

Check Status

Clear Report

Figure 5: Software Interface layout

2.3. PIC-GUI Communication
The hardware uses RS232 converter to communicate with the software. Contained in the RS232 converter is the
RS232 library which has RX (receiver) and TX (transmitter) for both transmissions and reception of signals. The
software in the other end has serial port library which is one of the controls in c-sharp library. It is thus
programmed to enable transmission and reception of signals.
Once the COM port is selected in the software, a link is opened up for communication between the
hardware and the software which will last for microseconds . Through, there is a propagation delay which allows
for execution of commands or instruction before transmission of another signal. For every button clicked in the
graphical user interface.The serial port library uses its TX to transmit the signal to the hardware. The signal is
received by the hardware via its RX, processed according to instruction and opens up the relay of the required
unit and therefore switches ON its socket
The hardware on the reverse end uses its TX to transmit signal (indicating the reception of the sent
signal by the program) to the software. The software receives the signal via its RX and thus acknowledges it by
displaying the message about the state (ON or OFF) of the required unit on the room status interface. The flow
chart showing PIC-GUI communication is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Flow chart showing PIC- GUI communication

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

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Choice of Programming Language

The application program used in this research paper is C-Sharp.
Reasons for the choice of programming language
(i)
It is very convenient to use (i.e it has improved Graphical User Interface)
(ii)
It has controls that one can pick and drop.
(iii)
It is easier to communicate with the PIC microcontroller.
Discussion of Results.
Description of Flow Process
Initially, all the switches are in the state. When the ON button is clicked in the software interface to turn
ON the desired device, the software converts the ON command into hex code, then sends the value to USB port
address. It sends logic 1 (3.5-5V) to the microcontroller through RS232 converter. The microcontroller then
sends a 1 to the transistor. It will activate the transistor used to energise the relay. There is an inductor (a wire
coil), when energized with an electric pulse, will generate a magnetic field. The second part of the relay is a
system of metallic arms, which makes up the physical contact of the switch. When the replay is ON, or an
electric pulse is sent to the relay, the swing or switching arm of the relay moves to another contact of the relay.
The arm moves as the generated magnetic field pulls the swinging arm towards the inductor (or wire coil), the
a.c. circuit is completed and the electrical appliance is turned ON. When the OFF button is clicked to turn off a
device, the software converts the OFF command into hex code, then sends the value to USB port address. It
sends logic 0 (0-1.5V) to the microcontroller through the RS232 converter. Then the microcontroller sends a 0 to
the transistor. It will deactivate the transistor used to energize the relay. The arm of the relay swings back to
another position, which makes the path of the current flow open and hence electrical appliance is turned OFF.
The terminal input of each appliance is wired across, then sends the value to USB port address. It sends logic 0
(0-1.5V) to the microcontroller through the RS232 converter. Then the microcontroller sends a 0 to the
transistor. It will deactivate the transistor used to energize the relay, thus the power to the appliance is switched
ON or OFF depending on whether the relay is active or not. The diagram of the flow chart design system is as
shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: The flow chart of the designed system

Conclusion
The users choice is clicked in the developed window application through the PC and signal travels via the USB

Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
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cable to the corresponding connection. Based on this command, the required appliance is triggered. It can be
used at homes, street light management, hotels, power management, high voltage grid control and in industries.
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